Jin and Qi were already bordering each other, so Li Maozhen launched an undeclared war without declaring war. On the other hand, he sent masters from the Huanyin Workshop to the hinterland of Jin to spread the news that Li Siyuan was dead.
Even before the death of the person in charge, Li Siyuan, Jin had almost become the first prince, but its internal power structure was actually not stable.
It can even be said to be the most unstable among the many vassal states!
This is a hidden danger that was planted during the reign of the previous Jin Dynasty King Li Keyong.
A stable power structure requires an orderly inheritance, so that no matter what happens, there will not be immediate internal chaos.
But on the one hand, Li Keyong wanted to develop the Jin Kingdom quickly, and on the other hand, he had to hide himself behind the scenes to avoid the sight of unscrupulous commanders. He even wanted to find ways to restrict his biological son Li Cunxu from being too powerful and neglecting him.
In order to get the best of all three things, he came up with a way - to adopt an adopted son.
This is the origin of the Thirteen Taibao of Tongwen Hall.
In fact, from a functional point of view, these Thirteen Taibao are just like the Nine Heavens Saint Princess of Huanyinfang and the major masters of Xuanming Sect, they are just subordinates.
But just to be wary of Li Cunxu, Li Keyong directly promoted their seniority to them all and became Li Cunxu's sworn brothers. He was not even willing to let Li Cunxu be the leader.
This led to a very serious problem, that is, when Li Keyong and Li Cunxu both died, logically speaking, their adopted sons could inherit the Jin Kingdom and become the new kings of Jin.
In the end, Li Siyuan did successfully ascend to that position with the support of the bad coach.
So now that Li Siyuan is dead, how can those sworn brothers who missed the first chance be willing to miss the second chance again?
Among the thirteen eunuchs, Li Siyuan, Li Cunxu, and Li Sizhao, who ranked first, second, and third, all died, so the fourth eunuch, Li Cunren, the leader of the Renzi Sect, was the first to step forward after receiving the news.
He sent a letter to summon several other Taibao who were currently in Jinyang to gather at the Jin Palace.
"Dear brothers, you should have heard about the death of my eldest brother. Now, according to the order of eldest and youngest, the Holy Master of Tongwenguan and the position of King Jin are bound to be brothers. Do you have any objections?"
Li Cunli looked around at the sworn brothers present with a smile on his face, and immediately planned to get up and sit on the seat that he had never even expected to reach.
"Wait a minute, fourth brother."
Wearing a white robe and looking gentle, the sixth eunuch Li Cunli closed his folding fan with a snap, stretched out his arm to block Li Cunren's path, and then said slowly:
"The news about eldest brother is just some rumors in the market. There is no evidence at all. How can we draw conclusions? If you sit here today and he comes back to eldest brother, how will you deal with it?"
"Huh? This..."
His words not only stunned Li Cunren, but also poured cold water on some of the other sect owners below who originally had fiery eyes.
The seventh eunuch, Li Cunzhi, and the eighth eunuch, Li Cunxin, immediately stopped what they were about to say when they heard this, looked at each other, and then both turned their attention to the woman at the back - the only woman among the thirteen eunuchs, the tenth eunuch.
The third Taibao, Li Cunren, the leader of Renzi Sect!
"Little sister, you are in charge of the mourning department and are best at finding out information. Do you know the details?"
The originally prestigious Thirteen Taibao, now there are only five of them left, plus the fifth one who has almost made it clear that he will betray Tongwen Hall, Li Cunyi, the leader of the Yizi Sect.
"I don't know!"
Under the gaze of everyone, Li Cunren's masked face showed no emotion at all, and replied coldly.
Li Cunli was Li Siyuan's biggest supporter, and he was also the person he left in Jinyang to stabilize the overall situation in the rear. After hearing Li Cunren's answer, he flashed his eyes and said with a smile:
"Little sister, if that's the case, why don't you take the mourning department to look for the traces of eldest brother? A country cannot be left without a master for a day. No matter what, we must first confirm the news about eldest brother so that we can get things done."
His words were kind and his smile was gentle, just like a brother who really loved his sister, but what Li Cunren saw in his eyes was the threat hidden deep in his eyes.
After all, as the person in charge of the Shang Department, she once pursued and killed Li Siyuan on Li Keyong's orders, and even almost killed him.
So after Li Siyuan took power, although he spared her life, he forced her to take poison. Only Li Siyuan and Li Cunli knew about this.
But what they didn't know was that when Li Cunren released the plague virus in Shu, he was discovered by Li Xingyun and his party. Relying on the Huayang acupuncture method passed down from Yuan Tiangang, Li Xingyun had already detoxified the toxins in Li Cunren's body.
As for what the purpose of her return trip was after she had surrendered her control...
Li Cunren's eyes briefly touched Li Cunli's, then he lowered his head and left silently.
Seeing Li Cunren leaving obediently, Li Cunli's lips curved slightly. Even if his eldest brother Li Siyuan really died, among the remaining five brothers, he who controls Li Cunli would have the greatest chance.
"Okay, fourth brother, seventh brother, and eighth brother. I will leave the elder brother's matter to the younger sister to investigate. We have more important things to discuss at the moment."
Unknowingly, Li Cunli surpassed the fourth brother Li Cunren and took control of the speech on the court.
Huh~
He spread out the map, pointed to the junction of Jin, Qi and Liang, and said in a serious voice: "Li Maozhen personally led the army of Qi from Fengxiang and went straight to Hezhong Prefecture. Now they have arrived in Puzhou. Judging from their marching route, I'm afraid
He's heading straight to Taiyuan."
Li Cunli moved his finger from the west to the south of Jin.
"Incited by Li Maozhen, the three kingdoms of Shu, Chu, and Wu all made changes, and the southern border must also be guarded. What do you think about this?"
"The Qi Kingdom has already been beaten to a pulp by Zhu Youzhen. How dare you come to take advantage of us?"
Li Cunren waved his hand and looked at the three sworn brothers, "It's a pity that the tenth brother is not here. Which good brother is willing to lead the army and teach them a lesson for my brother?"
The tenth brother he mentioned was Li Cunxiao, who was known as the most powerful general in the Jin Kingdom. He was more than ten feet tall and extremely powerful. He could even charge alone on the battlefield. However, he was killed by Zhu Youwen, the ghost king of the Xuanming Sect, a long time ago.
Scanned by Li Cunren's gaze, Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin's eyes flashed again and again, but they could not make up their minds.
Logically speaking, when the Jin Kingdom is about to be in chaos, having a large army in hand is definitely not a loss. Whether it is fighting for the position of King of Jin or protecting one's own life, one can advance and retreat more freely.
But the more this happened, the more doubtful they became. Wasn't Li Cunren clear about these principles?
Is he asking this to test who has the ambition to compete with him?
Could it be that as soon as he agreed, Li Cunren, who was behind him, would throw a cup as a signal and summon a large number of swordsmen to kill him on the spot?
One of them was famous for his wisdom, and the other was famous for his trust. They looked at each other for a long time, but neither of them had the courage.
In the end, Li Cunli stood up and said, "I am willing to share my worries for my fourth brother."
"good!"
Li Cunren put his hands on his hands and smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble my sixth brother. As long as we expel the army of Qi State, Shu, Chu, Wu and other weaklings will naturally understand that the power of our Jin State cannot be violated lightly, and the crisis will be solved by itself."
Seeing that Li Cunli had easily obtained the military power, Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin immediately began to regret it, so they hurriedly joined in: "Fourth brother, we are willing to go to the south to guard against the three kingdoms of Shu, Chu and Wu."
But it is a pity that after sending Li Cunli away, Li Cunren's face was not so gentle. He looked at the two younger brothers in front of him who had greed in their eyes, and waved his sleeves disdainfully: "Didn't I say it? Deal with it.
We have defeated the Qi Kingdom, which is the leader, and the other countries will be defeated without a fight, so go down."
Looking at the retreating figures of Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin, Li Cunren sneered.
The reason why he was willing to give Li Cunli troops and horses was because he saw the relationship between Li Cunli and Li Cunren. The second reason was because Li Cunli was Li Siyuan's loyal supporter and he didn't know if he had any trump cards in his hand, so he wanted to take this guy away.
Pay it out so that you can do things more conveniently for yourself.
But Li Cunzhi and Li Cunxin don't have this problem.
Besides, although Li Cunli had high martial arts skills, he had never led an army before, while Qi King Li Maozhen was a good fighter who climbed up from the bottom step by step with his military skills.
This time, Li Cunli was sent to challenge him, with the intention of killing someone with a borrowed knife.
"Anyway, no matter who wins or loses, I can accept it."
Li Cunren opened and closed his lips and spoke silently to himself.
…
…
Li Cunren had his own little calculation, so Li Cunli naturally did not give in too much.
Although he led troops and horses, he did not choose to rush to the front line of Puzhou to fight with the Qi army. Instead, he marched leisurely and slowly along the way.
"Sir, aren't we going to rescue Puzhou? Why..."
The masters under his command were a little puzzled and asked about his background.
"Hmm,"
Li Cunli smiled softly, "Everything is planned before taking action. I'm still waiting for news. After all, I didn't come to this army just to fight with Li Maozhen..."
At this moment, a letter eagle flew across the sky and let out a sharp cry.
"coming!"
Li Cunli's expression perked up when he heard the sound. He raised his hand to catch the eagle and removed a small bamboo tube from its claws.
When I opened it, I stopped immediately.
"The whole army stops, the rear formations turn to the front formations, and return to Jinyang!"
…
…
Without Li Cunli's support, the Jin army in Puzhou would naturally be unable to withstand Li Maozhen's repeated attacks.
Although the Jin State is indeed much stronger than the Qi State, there is no situation where the troops of one government can withstand the strength of the entire country of the other side.
After the defeat of Puzhou, Hezhong Prefecture fell under the rule of Qi State.
Li Maozhen took a short rest and continued northward with the surrendered Jin army, intending to wipe out the passers-by in one fell swoop and swallow up the northern territory of Jin at the same time.
As for the south, it is left to Shu, Wu, Chu and the possible remnants of the Jin State to fight for it, so as to give the Qi State time to develop.
However, just when he was about to lead the army and set off again, he found a group of people blocking him.
"plum……"
As soon as the voice came out, Li Maozhen turned his eyes and said, "Little sister, you should be behind Fengxiang stabilizing Qi State now, not appear here."
It is said that the three armies should go ahead without using food and grass. Although Li Maozhen's trip was based on the idea of a blitzkrieg, it does not mean that logistics is not important. What's more important is that if the two brothers and sisters are not here, if the Qi country is attacked, who will
Can you resist?
This is also the fundamental reason why the territory of the Qi Kingdom has not expanded even in the sixteen years since Li Maozhen left. The empress is incapable of doing all the work on her own. If she leads the army on an expedition, there will be no one to guard her family. And if she stays in the Qi Kingdom, she will not be strong enough.
The general went out to conquer.
Nowadays, brother and sister are the best combination, one inside and one outside. But I didn't expect...
"Brother Wang..."
The empress raised her head and was about to explain, when she saw Li Xingyun wave his hand.
"Li Maozhen, now you know what to do if you ask Qi Kingdom? What about the previous sixteen years? When you insisted on leaving for so long, causing the Qi people's livelihood to decline, didn't you think about what they should do?"
"This is our country's internal affairs and my king's family affairs. Who are you and what qualifications do you have to comment?"
Although Li Maozhen recognized Li Xingyun, he now respected the fake Li Xingyun as the emperor, so it was naturally impossible for him to admit that the person in front of him was also Li Xingyun.
"I?"
Li Xingyun raised his hand and pointed at himself carelessly, "If I don't change my name, I am Li Xingyun!"
"Do you know what the crime is for pretending to be the emperor?"
"You said I was just pretending to be a fake? I also said you were the fake one!" Li Xingyun choked.
"As we all know, the Longquan Sword is in the hands of the emperor,"
Li Maozhen didn't panic at all and said calmly, "You said you are, but where is your Longquan Sword?"
"you!"
Li Xingyun looked at the Longquan Sword being carried behind Li Maozhen's back and gritted his teeth in anger.
After getting the support of Tongwen Hall and Xuanming Sect, the fake Li Xingyun had every opportunity and advantage when facing Li Xingyun. Naturally, the Longquan Sword had been taken away by others a long time ago. Now after going round and round, it fell into the hands of Li Maozhen.
inside.
"Actually, if you want to prove yourself, there are no other ways."
Li Maozhen changed the subject.
"What method?"
"Except for the Longquan Sword, it is said that only the blood of the Li family can open the Longquan treasure... If your blood can open it, I will admit that you are the real Li Xingyun."
"Damn it! Don't even try to trick me into helping you open Longquan!"
Nowadays, Li Xingyun is not so easily deceived, and he saw through Li Maozhen's plan on the spot.
"Since you have no way to prove yourself, you are trying to pretend to be the emperor's traitor. I have been deeply favored by the emperor and should eliminate the rebellion for the emperor!"
Li Maozhen teleported in front of Li Xingyun in a flash, and slapped his head with a palm filled with purple inner energy.
No one expected that just now they were chatting peacefully, and suddenly Li Maozhen would kill him. Everyone looked panicked. Hou Qing and Han Ba, the two corpse ancestors, wanted to rescue them, but Li Maozhen's movements were too fast.
The wind from the palm has already blown Li Xingyun's hair.
At the critical moment, the empress, who practiced the Phantom Sound Technique like Li Maozhen, suddenly pulled out layers of phantoms to stand in front of Li Xingyun and took the blow for him.
Bang!
Li Maozhen's slap was aimed at seriously injuring Li Xingyun, so she didn't hold back much. Even the empress received a slap in a hurry, and the corners of her mouth spilled a little red.
"You want to be my enemy?"
Looking at his sister standing in front of him, Li Maozhen's eyes were gloomy and unbelievable, "Just because of this person pretending to be the emperor?"
"Brother Wang, he... may not be a fake, so in order to prevent my brother from making a big mistake, as long as I am here today, you can't touch him." The empress looked up at Li Maozhen without flinching.
"..."
Li Maozhen stopped and carefully looked at the sister in front of her for a while, who she hadn't seen for sixteen years and seemed to have changed a lot, and then looked at Li Xingyun who was blocked behind her with disdain.
"If you are really capable, don't hide behind a woman."
"I think so too!"
Li Xingyun shouted, "Everyone, come on shoulder to shoulder!"